Electric weft detecting system for looms



July 20, 1948. F. SEPAVICH 2,445,641 7 ELECTRIC WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM .FOR LOOMS Filed March 11, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR V IG TOR F. SEPA V/GH MEW ATTORNEY July 20, 1948. v. F. SEPAVICH 2,445,641

' ELECTRIC WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Filed March 11, 1947 ZSheetS-Sheet 2 FIG.3

O ,7 lol 26 I05 10 d l/j 'INVENTOR f VICTOR F. SEPAV/GH ATTORNEY Patented July 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM. FOR LOOMS Victor F. Sepavich, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass a. corporation of Massachusetts Application March 11, 1947, Serial No. 733,885 7 Claims. (01. 139-473) This invention relates to improvements in electric weftdetecting systems for looms and it is the general object of the invention to. provide suchv a. system wherein indication of. weft exhaustion may be retained any desiredlength of time to be utilized at some point. in the cycle of the loom subsequent to the time of indication.

In certain types of weft replenishing looms the weft detector indicates weft exhaustion an appreciable interval of time before theindi'cation can be utilized to initiate a replenishing operation. This condition exists .for instance in pick and pick weft replenishing looms wherein the weft detector is at one side of the 100m and the reserve bobbin magazine or replenishing mechanism is at the opposite. side. In such looms the detector indicates exhaustion of a particular shuttle four picks or so before that shuttle is in position for replenishment at the opposite side of the loom It is. an important object of the present invention to hold an indication by means or anelectronic circuit which maintains. a solenoid or the like energized until the point in the loom. cycle.v is reached at which such energization can be. utilized for setting the magazine for transfer. i

The electronic tube is energized preferably. by a unidirectional current and will continue to energize the solenoid until the plate of the tube either becomes negative. or has its potential rednceol to zero. This resultcan be accomplished by either of two meansset forthhereinafter. In one of thesemeans the lifting of the transferrer latch to transfer position causes opening of a switch which breaks the plate circuit, while in the other means the periodic shifting of the bobbin stack selector of the magazine opens the plate circuit.

With these and other objects in. view which will appear asthe description proceeds; my invention resides in the. combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described-and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein two forms of the invention are set. forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of an automatic pick and pickweft replenishingloom, having. the first iorm of" the invention applied thereto, 7 i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed" side elevation looking in" the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,; showing the plate -'eontrolling circuit switch closed in fuli line position andopen in dotted line position,

Fig; is a detailed horizontal section on line 3-4 of Fig; 2;

Fig. is a. side'view of the reserve bobb-in maga.

zine as seen from the. center of the loom having the modified form of the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear detailed elevation. partly in section, looking in the direction oi a1.- row 5, Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit used with the invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom trame to has mounted thereon a lay it having right. and left gangs of shifting shuttle boxes RG and LG, respectively. These boxes. shift vertically by means of box operating mechanisms not shown but operating through box lifter rods. l2 and II. The gang RG will be in the down position shown at the right of Fig. 1 for the first two picks. of. a four-pick cycle and then will be up for the next two picks, thus completing a four-pick cycle. The gang RG-then falls to the low position to start another four-pick cycle. The gang LG is. also operated on a four-pick cycle, but it shifts on those beats of the loom when the gang RG is stationary with respect to the lay, In, this way one or the other of thegangs RG and LG shift each pick of the m, but each gang. is up for two picks and then down for two picks. The loom operates with three shuttles S, S2 and S3 which preferably have diverse wefts. These shuttles are picked one after the other, each shuttle after being active for. one pick remaining idle for two picks.

A weft detecting mechanism D is in the present instance mounted on the layover the gang LG to detect the condition of weft in the top shuttle box 15 when gang LG rises to its high position. The detector D includes a detector finger [6, an electric switch I! which is normally open and remains open when the detector fingerengages an ample weft supplyin box [51 When the supply is depleted however the detector finger slides laterally in known manner to'close'the switch I1.

On indicating beats of the loom switch I'I will be closed by the depleted shuttle in box 15 upon completion of upward movement of gang LG- and will remain closed until this gang descends to low position. When gang LG descends the switch H will open, but at this time the depleted shuttle is still on the left end of the loom and must be picked to the right end as viewed in Fig. 1 into box l8 and the latter then raised beforereplenishment can occur.

The magazine M for the reserve bobbins is supported in known manner on the frame of the loom and includes ifour vertically slidable bobbin it will register with and be able to actuate one of I the releasers.

The selector is controlled by a lever 30, see Fig. 3, pivoted on the upper end of a block 3l' which reciprocates vertically in a guide'32. One end of lever is operatively connected by rod 33 to the selector, while the other end of lever 30 is free but prevented from rising above its normal position by a pin 35 held in fixed position thereover on a stand36l A controller or pin 38 is provided to move under the free end of lever 30 whenever a replenishing operation is to be initiated. Ordinarily pin 38 is out of the path of lever 30'.

A cam 40 on the bottom shaft 4| of the loom rotates every second pick of the loom and causes rising and falling ofa rod 42 the upper end of which is connected to the reciprocating block 3!. Cam 40 causes lever 30 first to move upwardly from its normal position, then return to normal position, then descend from its normal position, and then return to normal position. These movements of lever 30 occur in a two-pick cycle as is usualinj multicolor weft replenishing looms and .cause rocking of the selector 25 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 every second pick of the loom due to engagement of lever 30 with the stationary pin 35. .If controller pin 38 is under lever 30 when lever 42 descends the latter will depress rod 33 to cause rocking of the selector to raise one of the releasers. If pin 38 is not under lever 3Bthe latter has an idle loom motion.

'The invention has been applied to a multicolor pick and pick weft replenishing loom wherein each shuttle carries weft different from the-wefts of the other two shuttles. zine will :have a stack of reserve bobbins for each type of weft, and it will be understood that when the invention is used with a loom of this type only three stacks and releasers will be in use, one of them remaining idle since there is no fourth shuttle corresponding toit. In the present description it is assumed that the first three releasers 20, 2| and 22 will be active in rotation and releaser 23 will be idle.

Longitudinal movement of selector 25 is effected by means of a lever 45 connected as at 46 to the rod 26. Lever 45 is acted upon by spring 41 which tends to move the color selector to its front position, or to the right hand position as shown in Fig. 4. A control rod 48 acting in opposition to spring 41 causes counterclockwise movement of lever 45 as viewed in Fig. 4 to move the color selector rearwardly, or to the left. By known means not set forth herein the rod 48 is so controlled that it causes the selector to register with releaser 20 for the first four picks of a twelve-pick sequence, then register with releaser 21 for the next four'picks, and then register with releaser 22 for the remaining four picks. The selector then moves forwardly to register with releaser 2G to start another sequence of movements. In this way the selector 25 has regular movements at The magafour-pick intervals regardless of replenishing operations.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described, lever 30 will rise and fall as already described and the boxes will shift to move the shuttles one at a time and at four-pick intervals into detecting relation with respect to the weft detector D, If no indication of weft exhaustion is given pin 38 is out of the path of lever 38 and the latter has idle movements. All of the releasers 20, 2| and 22 remain down and no bobbin is in transfer position in the magazine. If, however, the controller pin should be in the path of lever 30 its normal downward movement is interrupted and the selector is given a counterclockwise rotation as viewed in Fig. 1 to lift one or another of the releasers 20-22, and shortly thereafter has its regularly recurring clockwise movement to depress the previously raised releaser to advance a bobbin to transfer position. These operations occur at an interval of time after indication'of exhaustion is given by the detector D and do not ordinarily start until after the switch I! has been opened by descent of the depleted weft supply in shuttle box l5. It is this condition which necessitates holding pin 33 in indicating position until down motion of lever 30 can be utilized to initiate bobbin release and raise latch 49 of the transferrer arm 5% into the path of lay carried hunter 5i to set the magazine for transfer.

In carrying my present invention into effect I utilize an electronic circuit including a gas filled power tube which will be fired immediately upon indication of exhaustion of the detector due to closure of a switch I1 and will remain firing until its output or plate circuit is interrupted.

The circuits are shown in Fig. 6 and may be substantially the same for either form of the invention. The circuit includes power wires 55 and 56 preferably supplying alternating current at some commercial voltage,'such for instance as 110 volts. 'A transformer T has a primary 51- connected across wires 55 and 56 and has a secondary 58 wound to supply alternating current of relatively low voltage. A gas filled electronic power tube E has a plate 60, control and shield grids GI and 62, respectively, a cathode 63, and a heater filament 64 therefor.

The filament is energized by the following filament circuit: secondary 58, wire 65, resistance 66 if desired, filament 64, wire 61 and wire 68 back to the secondary. This circuit will supply a relatively heavy current at low voltage as is customary for the filaments of electronic tubes having indirectly heated cathodes.

The secondary 58 also supplies potentials for the detecting circuit which in the present instance is operated preferably by direct or unidirectional current. A full wave rectifier Ill has its positive side grounded by wire H and is energized by the secondary 58 by means of part of the circuit already traced and wires 12 and 13. The negative side of the rectifier is connected by wire 15 to a resistance 16 which inturn is connected by wires 11 and 18 to one side of switch I1 the other side of which is grounded as at I9. The control grid BI is connected to wire 11 by wire and is normally negative with respect tothe cathode 63 which is grounded by wire 8|. 7

So long as switch I! is open the detecting clr cuit is dead and the control grid BI is maintained negative with respect to the cathode and prevents firing of tube E. Whenever switch I! is quence after the shuttle moves away from the detector and thereafter during the fourth pick of the sequence moving in the opposite direction, a controller for the actuator normally in noncontrolling position relatively thereto, a solenoid which when energized causes the controller to be in controlling position relatively to the actuator, a bobbin releaser for the magazine operated by the'actuator to release a bobbinfor transfer if the controller is in controlling position relatively to the actuator when the latter moves in said one direction, normally deenergized electric circuit means including the solenoid and an electronic tube, means causing said circuit to be energized to energize the solenoid when the detector indicates weft exhaustion, said circuit means remaining energized due to the electronic tube after the shuttle moves away from the detector, and means effective after the actuator moves in said one direction to open said circuit means.

2. In a weft replenishing loom effective to give indication of weft exhaustion during a given interval of the loom cycle, bobbin release means, an actuator for said release means moving subsequent to said interval, a controller for said actuator normally out of controlling relation with respect to the actuator but when in controlling relation with respect thereto causing'said actuator to effect operation of the bobbin release means, a solenoid for the controller effective when energized to move the controller into controlling relation with respect to the actuator, a normally dead electric circuit for the solenoid including an electronic tube, electric control means for the electronic tube effective when the detector indicates weft exhaustion to energize said circuit, said circuit thereafter due to said electronic tube continuing energization of said circuit and solenoid after said interval, and electric means effective subsequent to operation of the release means by the actuator to open said circuit.

3. In a weft replenishing'loom having an electric weft detector which gives indication of weft exhaustion during a given interval of the cycle of the loom, an actuator having operative movements subsequent to said interval, transfer mechanism including a latch normal-1y in idle position, a controller for the actuator normally idle relatively to the latter, means effective if the controller is in operative relation with respect to the actuator when the latter has said movements to cause movement of said latch to transfer position, a normally deenergized electric circuit including an electronic tube and a solenoid which when energized effects movement of the controller into operative relation with respect to the actuator, electric means effective when the detector indicates weft exhaustion to energize said circuit and the solenoid, said circuit due to said electronic tube remaining energized subsequent to said interval, and electric means controlled by the latch and effective when the latter moves to transfer position to open said circuit.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of bobbin releasers and a selector moving to register with the releasers one at a time, an electric weft detector giving an indication of weft exhaustion during a given interval in the cycle of loom operation, an actuator moving subsequent to said interval, a controller normally idle with respect to the actuator but effective when in operative relation with respect to the actuator to cause the selector to operate the bobbin releaser registered therewith, normally deenergized electric circuit means including an electronic tube and a solenoid which when energized causes the solenoid to move the controller into operative relation with respect to the actuator, electric means controlling the tube and effective upon indication of weft exhaustion by the detector to cause energization of said circuit by current flowing through the tube, said circuit due to the tube'continuing energization f the-solenoid'subsequent to said intervaland until'the actuator moves, and electric means efiective subsequent to movement of the actuator to open said circuit means. v

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of bobbin releasers and a selector moving to register with the'r'eleasers one ata time, an electric weft detector giving an indication of weft exhaustion during a given interval in the sequence of loom operation, an actuator moving subsequent to said interval, a controller normally idle with respect to the actuator but effective when in operative relation with respect to the actuator to cause the selector to operate the bobbin releaser registered therewith, electric circuit means including an electronic tube anda solenoid which when energized causes the solenoid to move the controller into operative relation with respect to the actuator, said circuit being normally dead but eifective'upon indication of weft exhaustion by the detector to energize the solenoid by current flowingthrough the tube and said circuit due to tube continuing energization of the solenoid subsequent to said interval and until the actuator moves, and electric means operated by movement of the selector to open said circuit.-

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a part to be moved preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, an electric weft detector indicating weft exhaustion during a given interval in the cycle of the loom, an actuator for said part moving subsequent to said interval, a controller normally idle relatively to the actuator but effective when in operative relation with respect to the actuator to cause the latter to move said part, a solenoid for said controller which when energized moves the latter into operative relation with respect to the actuator, a gas filled electronic power tube having a grid normally effective to prevent fiow of current through the tube, electric circuit means including said tube and solenoid and including a source of unidirectional current effective to energize the solenoid by electric current flowing through the tube whenever current can flow through the tube,

electric means effective upon indication of weft exhaustion by the detector to alter said grid in such a manner as to permit current 'to flow throughthe tube during said interval, said tube and source effective subsequent to said interval to continue energization ofthe solenoid until the actuator moves, and electric means efiective subsequent to operation of said part by said actuator to open said circuit means. e

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a part tobe moved preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, an electric weft detector indicating weft exhaustion during a given interval in the cycle of the loom, an actuator for said part moving subsequent to said interval, a controller normally idle relatively to the actuator but effective when in operative relation with respect to the actuator to cause the latter to move said part, a solenoid for said-controller which when energized moves the latter into operative relation with respect to the actuator, a gas filled electronic power tube having a grid normally effective to prevent flow of current through the tube, electric circuit means including said tube and solenoid and including a source of unidirectional current effective to energize the solenoid Whenever current can flow through the tube, electric means eifective due to indication of Weft exhaustion by the detector to alter said grid in such a manner as to permit current to flow through the tube during said interval, said tube and source eifective subsequent to said interval to continue energization of the solenoid until the actuator moves, and means controlling said circuit means and effective incident to movement lhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 19 Number Name Date 2,306,286 Turner Dec. 22, 1942 2,418,101 Stuer Mar. 25, 1947 2,431,650 Sepavich et a1 Nov. 25, 1947 

